The Chair Pose Sequence: A Way to Light Up Your Inner Fire

Feeling a little dull and sluggish this spring? Not quite like yourself, and perhaps lacking a certain degree of your usual self-confidence?

It’s time to ignite the inner fire and shine your light before summer officially arrives! It’s time to give your third chakra a boost. This is where you find power, self-esteem, and expression.

Manipura Chakra or Solar Plexus Chakra

The third chakra, which is associated with fire and transformational power, is located in the area above the navel (solar plexus) and is considered to be the core of personality.

You may lack confidence, willpower, and purpose when your third chakra is weak. A weak third chakra can make you feel “shut down” or like you’re running on autopilot. No one has time for this!

The Chair Pose sequence is designed to increase circulation, heat the body, and burn off any stagnation. It also helps you ignite your inner fire.

Breath of fire

Reach your inner thighs back and your sitting bones to get into Chair Pose. Lift your low belly and draw your low ribs into your body. Reach your arms up. Check if you weigh your heels and that your knees are the same width as your feet.

Start Breath Of Fire. This is a continuous breathing powered by abdominal contractions as air is pushed out through the nose and drawn in rhythmically.

Begin by inhaling deeply, allowing your belly and ribs to expand. Then, exhale sharply, pulling your naval toward the spine to force out all the air.

Once you have expelled all the air, relax your abdominal muscles and pull the air in while inhaling. Then, exhale with the same force, pumping out the air and allowing it to fill back up.

It is important to start slowly and build up a rhythm. As you become more comfortable, you can increase your speed. Stop after ten rounds or whenever you feel you need to if you are new to Breath Of Fire. If you’re comfortable with the breathing exercises, hold for 30 seconds up to one minute.

Twisting Chair Side-to-Side

In Chair Pose, inhale while stretching your arms and, on exhaling, bring your hands to your chest and pray to twist right, hooking the left elbow outside your right knee.

On your next inhalation, reach your arms up again in a Chair Pose. Then, on your exhalation, bring your hands together, pray, and twist left. Hoop your right elbow just outside your left leg.

Exhale and twist your prayer, right? Continue to bend and reach up as you inhale, and continue to pulsate from side to side, in and out, with your twists.

On your inhalation, straighten your legs and raise your arms. Sit back down to Chair Pose as you exhale.

Heel Lifts & Lat Pulls

Begin in the Chair Pose, with both palms facing outward.

Inhale, and then, on exhale, pull your elbows to a straight line and lift your heels.

As you inhale, raise your heels and straighten your arms.

For five breaths, continue lifting your heels while pulling your elbow down on exhales. On inhales, you should lower your heels but lengthen your arms.

Holding onto the opposite elbows, slowly release and deepen your breathing.

This simple chair pose sequence is doable for yogis of different practice levels and can help lighten that spark to get your inner fire going. Give it a shot, and let me know how it goes in the comments below!